Jeff Schultz of the AJC recently reported that the Braves are likely to bring back their manager Brian Snitker for next season. Snitker was chosen to be the team’s manager after serving as the interim manager in 2016 when Fredi Gonzalez was fired. The contract was far from a ringing endorsement from the front office, as they agreed to a one-year deal, with the Braves in the midst of a rebuild.
But nonetheless, Snit was given a chance, and according to the leader of the Braves clubhouse, he has certainly made the most of it.
“I went to them a couple of weeks ago and expressed to them that we love Brian in here,” Freeman said Friday night. “That’s all I can do is tell them how I feel about a guy who’s put in all the time and done everything possible to help us win. He deserved the managerial job when he got and we all hope that he’s back.”
A ringing chant of “encore” by the team’s best player does not always mean the manager’s job is safe. However, when it comes from a guy like Freeman, whose attitude and game resembles the excellence the Braves are striving for, it means something.
Schultz’s full column here also includes comments from President of Baseball Operations John Hart that suggest he believes Snitker has done a fantastic job, and even went as far to say, “He (Snitker) really checks all the boxes for me.” Hart also repeated that they are not going out there looking for other candidates.
In the what have you done for me lately world that we live in, a recent plunge in the standings may have many fans thinking Snitker is not the right man for the job. However, given what Snit has had to work with and deal with all season long, the Braves were never supposed to be near .500 come the All-Star break, yet they were. With a fluctuating rotation, the most inconsistent bullpen in the MLB, and injuries to two of its biggest stars, the only steady thing this entire season has been Snitker. The team has exceeded expectations, and if that is not enough to earn at least one more season, the full support of the locker room will be.